Professor Kamalinder Singh and her team at the University of Lancashire are investigating a new approach to treating glioblastoma, including whether treatment could be delivered directly to the brain through the nose.
Glioblastoma, or GBM, is the most aggressive form of brain cancer. It grows quickly, is highly complex and responds poorly to existing treatments including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Most people diagnosed with glioblastoma survive for around 15 months, with very few living beyond five years.
One of the biggest challenges is getting treatment to where it is needed.
The brain is protected by a natural defence known as the blood-brain barrier. While this plays an important role in protecting the brain, it can also prevent cancer drugs from reaching a tumour.
Professor Singh and her team are exploring the use of RNA interference, or RNAi. This technique uses tiny genetic molecules called siRNAs to effectively ‘switch off’ harmful genes that help cancer cells grow and survive.
Cancer cells are highly adaptable and can sometimes find alternative ways to survive when one pathway is blocked. Rather than targeting a single pathway, the researchers will target several at the same time, with the aim of making it much harder for the tumour to continue growing and spreading.
To carry the siRNA into tumour cells, the team has developed tiny fat-based particles called lipid nanoparticles, which are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair.
Researchers will test two different ways of getting these particles into the brain. One uses an intravenous injection designed to cross the blood-brain barrier. The other explores whether treatment could be delivered through the nose, providing a potentially more direct route to the brain.
The treatments will first be tested using tumour cells taken from people with glioblastoma following surgery. These cells will be grown as advanced three-dimensional models in the laboratory.
Animal studies will then investigate how effectively the treatments reach the brain and whether they can shrink tumours.
If successful, the research could help pave the way towards a less invasive treatment that targets several of the tumour’s survival mechanisms at once, with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with glioblastoma.
By supporting research like this, North West Cancer Research is helping researchers explore new ways to improve cancer treatment and create better outcomes for people affected by the disease.
